


Calling Out to Me

by hazelNuts



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Background Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, F/F, Hurt Isabelle Lightwood, Magic, Mermaid Maia Roberts, POV Maia, Pirate Isabelle Lightwood, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-17 17:29:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13081737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazelNuts/pseuds/hazelNuts
Summary: When Maia loses the necklace that gives her legs and allows her to be on land, it's not her, but a pirate who finds it. Maia quickly comes up with a plan to get it back. She hadn't figured Isabelle Lightwood into those plans, though, and Maia takes a little longer to execute her plan than she has to. What's the harm in that?Maia watches the human in fascination. She’s a good swimmer, knows how to take advantage of the currents to get where she wants to go; not as good as a real ocean dweller, but pretty close. Humans aren’t made for underwater life, mostly because they need air and heat, and neither are easily accessible in the ocean. Which begs the question of why? Why is this human diving into the ocean in the middle of winter? For fun?





	Calling Out to Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarkAliceLilith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAliceLilith/gifts).



> I loved writing Maia and Isabelle in this AU, and hope you'll love reading it just as much! ♥
> 
> Many thanks to my wonderful beta, [ohpep](http://ohpep.tumblr.com/), for helping me!
> 
> If you think I forgot any tags, please let me know in the comments.

Maia watches the human in fascination. She’s a good swimmer, knows how to take advantage of the currents to get where she wants to go; not as good as a real ocean dweller, but pretty close. Humans aren’t made for underwater life, mostly because they need air and heat, and neither are easily accessible in the ocean. Which begs the question of why? Why is this human diving into the ocean in the middle of winter? For fun?

Normally, she would’ve left at the first sight of a human, especially one who is such a skilled diver, but that’s not really an option right now. She lost her ambulation necklace yesterday, and following the currents, it probably ended up somewhere around here. So she’s hiding behind a rock until the human leaves, and she can start searching. It shouldn’t take too long; humans can’t hold their breaths for more than a couple minutes at a time, less when the water is this cold. She’s watched the human dive down from her ship into the chilly waters and swim around seemingly aimless, several times now. The diver must be getting tired soon.

Maia glances over the rock and sighs. _Finally_. The diver is getting ready to go back to the surface, and Maia hopes it’s for the last time. Sunlight filtering through the waves catches on something the diver is holding, and terror grips her chest. _Oh no._ The human is holding up her ambulation necklace, the current gently tugging on the seaglass and pearl charm.

She has no options. She can’t swim over and grab the necklace out of the human’s hand. The ocean still talks about the mermaid-scare that hit the humans almost a century ago. Stories of half-human half-fish creatures dragging people into a watery grave spread fast and far. Mermaid hunters came from all over, and the mermaids had to retreat from the shores. Eventually the stories became no more than old-wives tales. Maia’s school is one of the first to move back closer to shore, and exposing herself to the human could undo all that progress. She can’t exactly knock the human out either, she’ll drown.

The diver is already pushing off the seabed, one hand on the chain of the anchor to guide her. Maia waits to make sure she’s not coming back down again, then follows. She stays close to the hull of the ship, drifting around it until she hears voices.

‘…taking too much risk,’ a stern voice says.

‘This is the last dive I did off the ship this winter,’ another voice says, placating with a teasing edge. ‘Look what I found.’

Maia can’t see what’s going on, but she assumes the diver is showing her necklace.

‘What is it?’ a third voice asks.

‘No idea, but it’s pretty, so I’m keeping it,’ the diver says. ‘Now, I need to get into something warm and dry. You can find me in the kitchen.’

‘Try not use up all the potatoes. It’s only half a day to Idris, but we’re running low and we have no idea how winter is going on land,’ the stern voice says. Maia guesses he’s the captain, or else the second in command.

‘I won’t!’

Idris isn’t too far. It might be half a day by ship, but it’s only a two hour swim, less with the current at her back. Not that beating them there will do her any good. The ambulation necklace is what gives her legs to walk on land, and legs is what she needs to get that necklace back.

Maia watches in desperation as they lift anchor, and the ship starts moving away from her. She swims a quick circle around the ship to catch the name and whatever flag it might be flying under. _Alicante_ is written in big swirling script on the hull, but there’s no flag waving from the top mast. This can only mean one thing: pirates. Which explains why they’re going to Idris. It’s one of the few ports that will let a ship without a flag dock at its harbour. As long as the crew behaves while on land, the city council figures it’s good for business.

She doesn’t watch the ship sail away, instead she heads home as quick as she can. As the leader of their school, Luke has to know what happened, even if he can’t help her get her necklace back.

~

‘You _what_?’ Luke asks, looking at her in disbelief. He shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose.

‘I lost my ambulation necklace and a human pirate found it,’ Maia repeats, wincing at the words. It hadn’t sounded so bad in her head.

‘At least tell me they didn’t see you,’ Luke pleads.

‘They didn’t. I’m sure of it.’

Luke sighs. ‘Well, that’s good. What are you going to do?’

‘I want to try to get it back,’ Maia says. ‘If I can’t’—she shrugs—‘that’s it.’

‘You could ask the selkies to make you a new one.’

Maia shakes her head. Only Fae have the magic to make ambulation necklaces, and they ask a steep price. Not for the first one, of course. No, they give you the first for no more than a song, literally. They let you get used to land, even addicted to it, so when you lose it—which happens quite often—you’ll consider the price they ask for it: usually an arm and a leg, again literally. She’s not willing to pay that price. Being on land is fun, but she can easily do without.

‘I’d rather drag myself through the streets of Idris than owe a Selkie a favour or give up a limb.’

‘I can understand that,’ Luke says. The frown is gone from his forehead, which means that she isn’t in any trouble. ‘Maybe Magnus can help,’ he suggests.

‘He can’t make me a new necklace,’ Maia points out.

‘He might be able to track it, though, find out where your pirate is.’

Before Luke can say anything more, Maia races off with a powerful swing of her tail. Magnus’ place isn’t far, and more importantly: it’s on the outskirts of Idris. She gets there in record time. She’s panting, her chest aching, and she takes a moment to catch her breath before knocking on the hatch that opens up into Magnus’ house. She can feel the vibrations of Magnus’ footsteps in the water, and then the hatch opens, revealing the mage.

‘Maia! Luke told me you were on your way,’ Magnus greets her. The mage looks as colourful as ever, in a bright green shirt, a gold necklace set with rubies around his neck. ‘Either you got here really fast, or Luke didn’t send his message until you were already gone.’

Maia rises far enough out of the water to talk, while still leaving most of the gills in her neck submerged. ‘Both,’ she admits with a grin.

Magnus sits down, legs crossed, elbows resting on his knees as he leans over. ‘So, what can I help you with?’

‘I lost my ambulation necklace.’

‘I can’t make you a new one,’ Magnus says, holding up his hands. ‘You know that.’

‘A human pirate found it, and she’s supposed to be in Idris,’ Maia continues. ‘Can you somehow get it back for me?’

‘Hmm.’ Magnus presses a finger to his lips as he thinks. ‘I’m expecting a visitor tonight, so I can’t help you there, but…’ A grin lights up his face. ‘Hold on one moment.’ With that, he jumps up and races out of the room.

Maia listens to his faint mutters and books hitting the floor while she waits. Magnus always looks so put together, and most of the time he is, but when he gets an idea, he becomes the most chaotic and messy person she’s ever met.

‘Aha!’ Magnus’ triumphant shout rings through the little house. He steps back into Maia’s view holding a couple scraps of paper. ‘Just because the selkies refuse to share the magic of their ambulation necklaces, doesn’t mean that us mages aren’t trying to copy it. This is a spell to give you legs,’ he says, waving the scraps over his head.

‘I thought–‘

‘It’s only temporary,’ Magnus warns. ‘No more than a day.’

‘Should be enough,’ Maia says, eyeing the papers greedily. ‘I’ll knock her out and pull it off her neck if I have to.’

‘That’s very violent. You could just try persuasion, a little negotiation. Generally works for me,’ Magnus winks.

‘My fists are pretty persuasive.’

Maia swims around aimlessly as Magnus prepares the spell. This close to shore, there’s not much to do. There are almost no fish and the seabed is just sand and rocks. She wonders how Magnus can live here, but then, he doesn’t live _in_ the sea, just next to it. She checks on his progress every now and then, but when she realizes it’s annoying him she stays below the surface.

Finally, Magnus’ face appears in the hole over the water and he beckons her up. Maia pops up so fast, she splashes water everywhere.

‘Drink this and give me your hands,’ Magnus says, using his sleeve to wipe the water from his face. He holds out a mug, and Maia grabs it eagerly. She almost shoves it back into Magnus’ hand when she smells it. It smells like dead fish that’s been lying in the summer sun for too long.

‘Oh god,’ she groans. ‘I need to drink all of this?’

‘If you want to get on land and search for your necklace, yes,’ Magnus nods. ‘Bottoms up, dear.’

Maia pulls a face, then takes a deep breath and throws back the gooey contents of the mug as fast as she can. Once she’s swallowed it all, she lets out a breath. She quickly clamps a hand over her mouth when she almost throws up.

‘Can’t really do anything about the taste,’ Magnus apologizes. ‘Now, your hands.’

Maia takes a few more breaths to make sure the goo stays down, then reaches for Magnus’ hands. She can’t understand the words he’s saying, but she can feel the magic working. Her tail tingles, then a pain so sharp she’s seeing stars, rips through it. Strong hands lift her out of the water, and a towel is flung around her shoulders. She clutches the towel while she waits for her vision to return. When it does, her eyes immediately go to the two human legs stretched out in front of her where her tail normally is. She wiggles her toes.

‘Well, it worked,’ she says. Her throat feels sore. Did she scream?

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would hurt so much.’ Magnus throws another towel over her. His brow is contracted in worry. ‘Are you okay?’

Maia nods. ‘Let’s test these babies out.’

Magnus helps her to her feet, and she walks up and down the room a couple times. The legs don’t feel as steady as the ones her necklace give her, but they’ll do.

‘I should warn you there’s a lot you need to stay away from. No eating fish, or anything else that comes from the sea,’ Magnus warns her. ‘And definitely don’t go for a swim. Ocean water will nullify the magic.’

Maia nods.

‘And this will work for about a full day, so until tomorrow evening,’ Magnus adds. ‘Be back in the water by then, or you’ll have to figure out a how to get back in the water with a tail.’

‘Nothing from the ocean, and I have a day. Got it,’ Maia repeats. ‘If I don’t get it back before then, could you do this again?’ She gestures at her legs.

‘There’s nothing in the writing about side affects with continued use, but I suggest at least one day of rest before using it again.’ Magnus moves to the wardrobe and throws her a skirt and a loose shirt, her usual outfit for when she come on land. ‘Now get dressed while I track down that necklace of yours.’

Clothes always feel strange on her. Mermaids don’t wear clothes. They wear jewellery and decorate their hair with shells or coral, and anything else they think is pretty. Some wear woven seaweed around their arms and chests, but real clothes, especially shirts, would block the gills in their sides and hinder breathing. She’s used to it now, but the first time she put on a shirt it felt almost claustrophobic.

Once she’s found a pair of socks, boots, and a jacket, she joins Magnus at his dinner table. He’s laid out a map of Idris, and there’s a glow in a building near the water.

‘That’s where it is?’ she asks.

‘Yes,’ Magnus sighs. ‘That’s The Institute. It’s an inn, frequented by the slightly more reputable thieves and pirates. I suggest you bring a knife.’ He turns and raises an eyebrow. ‘And maybe a scarf. The spell doesn’t cover up those marks of your gills as nicely as the necklace. You look like you’ve been mauled by a wild animal.’

After finding a scarf and putting a knife in each of her boots, Maia sets out for The Institute. The streets of Idris are winding and confusing, and she’s grateful for Magnus’ clear directions. She doesn’t come here often, and then usually stays in the quieter parts of town. Here, there’s shouting on every corner, men and women pushing hurriedly through the crowd. Maia tries to match their postures and confident strides, and she suddenly has a much easier time moving through the mass of people.

The Institute is hard to miss; the windows are huge, allowing light to stream out into the street. There’s a big sign above the door, depicting a pirate wrestling a sea drake. Maia snorts. A real sea drake would barely notice a single pirate, and if it did, it would swallow them up without a thought.

She pushes the door open, and the smell of beer, food, and too many people in too small a place greets her. She makes for the bar, scanning the room as she goes. All she really knows about the pirate’s appearance is that she has long black hair. And that she has her necklace.

Maia sits down on a stool to the side of the bar, and orders a drink. She taps the bar nervously as she waits. The necklace should be here, but it doesn’t have to be _here_. The pirate could’ve gone up to one of the rooms. If so, she’ll have to try again in a few days.

She turns around to scan the room again, only to find herself staring right at her necklace. She blinks in surprise then moves her eyes up until they catch on a set of big, dark brown eyes.

‘Are you drinking alone?’ the woman asks, her mouth pulling up at one corner. It’s almost flirtatious.

‘What if I want to drink alone?’ Maia counters, raising her eyebrows.

‘And I can’t persuade you otherwise?’ There’s something in the woman’s voice that is almost a laugh. Not a laugh _at_ Maia, but something throaty and whispered, like the laugh of a lover.

‘You can try,’ Maia shrugs.

The woman takes the seat next to Maia’s, then orders two drinks. When they’re set down in front of them, the woman pushes one to Maia and holds her own up for a toast. ‘To new...’ She pauses and lets her eyes scan Maia’s body and face, then she smiles wide, her eyes shining brighter than all the candles in the room combined. ‘… friends.’

‘I’ll drink to that,’ Maia says, mirroring the woman’s smile. Getting her necklace back might be more fun than she expected.

They throw their drinks back. The alcohol burns Maia throat, and she tries to hide her cough as best she can. She must not have done a great job, because the woman chuckles and says, ‘The only cure for that is another drink.’

After a another drink, which goes down a lot smoother, they start talking. The woman introduces herself as Isabelle, and Maia lets the name roll off her tongue. She likes it. It suits her.

The combination of alcohol and Isabelle’s engaging presence, makes conversation easy. It also makes Maia very bold. She finds herself leaning into Isabelle’s space to make sure she doesn’t miss a single smile or word. When Isabelle laughs at something Maia’s said and brushes her fingers over the back of Maia’s hand, warmth spreads from the point of contact throughout her body. And it’s not just attraction that pulls her in. Isabelle is funny and smart, and she speaks with passion. When Maia tells her she’s never experienced snow, Isabelle looks heartbroken.

‘You’ve never seen snow?’ Isabelle asks, pressing a hand to her chest.

‘I’ve _seen_ it, just never been in it. It doesn’t really snow in the s–‘ Maia quickly bites her tongue when she almost says “sea”. She quickly looks for another word. ‘South,’ she almost shouts in relief when she thinks of it.

Isabelle doesn’t seem to notice her fumbling, just nods. ‘Well, if you stick around here long enough you just might get to build your first snowman.’

‘Maybe,’ Maia says, wondering what the hell a snowman is.

‘And if it snows within the next couple days, I might even help.’

‘When are you sailing?’

‘How’d you know I sail?’ Isabelle asks, eyes narrowed.

Maia takes one of Isabelle’s hands. She turns it over so she can trace the callouses on Isabelle’s palm. ‘You don’t get these from knitting,’ she says, then leans in closer. ‘And you smell like the sea.’

‘So do you,’ Isabelle says. Her breath is warm against Maia’s cheek. ‘I have a room here. The bed’s pretty comfortable.’

The invitation doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s what the past hour has been leading up to, the touches, the flirtatious smiles and words; but Maia suddenly feels reluctant.

‘I really wish I could, but I’m staying with a friend,’ Maia says. ‘He’ll be worried if I don’t come back.’

‘Oh,’ Isabelle sighs, leaning away from Maia.

‘But, since you said you’d be busy tomorrow, I could come back the day after that. We can spend the whole day in that room,’ Maia suggests. She holds Isabelle’s gaze, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

Isabelle’s answering grin has heat rushing through Maia. ‘That does give me more time to do all the things I want to do to you,’ she says with a wink.

‘I’ll see you then?’ Maia slides off her stool before she’s pulled in by that grin and changes her mind. ‘Noon?’

‘I thought you said _all_ day.’

‘Sunrise then.’

At the door, Maia stops. She taps her fingers on the handle, thinking. Why _did_ she turn down Isabelle’s offer? Because of what Isabelle might think? Whether she takes the necklace tonight or the day after tomorrow, it makes no difference, Isabelle will still think of her as a thief. To stretch the time she has with Isabelle? If she stays, she’ll get two nights instead of one. And what is she going to do when she gets back to Magnus’? Go back home? Twiddle her thumbs until her time with these legs is up? She turns around and finds Isabelle looking back at her. She can put these legs to much better use than that.

Maia strides back to the bar with purpose. ‘Does your offer for tonight still stand?’ she asks.

‘Won’t your friend be worried?’ Isabelle asks, cocking an eyebrow.

‘He knows I can take care of myself,’ Maia says.

Isabelle stands up. Her eyes lock on Maia’s. ‘Does our date for the day after tomorrow still stand?’

‘Of course it does.’ Maia tilts her head. ‘If tonight lives up to my expectations.’

Isabelle narrows her eyes. A hand circles around Maia’s wrist, gentle but firm, and with a smirk Isabelle turns around and leads Maia up the stairs, to a room at the end of a hallway. Maia has no time to even check where the bed is, because Isabelle shuts the door and pushes her against it. She pins Maia’s hands by her head, her face so close their noses touch.

‘I’m far above anything you can expect,’ Isabelle purrs.

Maia leans in closer and takes Isabelle’s lower lip between her teeth, pulling lightly. She watches Isabelle’s eyelids flutter. ‘Prove it.’

Isabelle’s eyes snap wide open and hold Maia’s for a tense moment. Then she pulls away, her hands releasing Maia’s wrists, and trailing gently down Maia’s forearms, raising goosebumps. Maia watches as Isabelle slowly back away towards the bed. Isabelle leaves a trail of discarded clothes for Maia to follow, and when she reaches the bed she leans back on her hands and waits.

Maia doesn’t let her wait long. She takes in the sight with an appreciative smile, then wastes no more time in joining Isabelle on the bed. She pulls off her own clothes, tossing them to the floor, not caring where they land. When she reaches the bed, Isabelle pulls her down, wraps her legs around Maia’s waist and flips them, so she’s sitting on Maia’s hips.

As Isabelle lowers herself for a kiss, the necklace grazes Maia’s skin. The magic in it recognizes her, and it’s sends a spark of heat through Maia’s chest. She gasps. She’d almost forgotten about that thing. Then Isabelle’s lips lock with hers, and she pushes the necklace out of her mind again. First things first.

~

‘I won,’ Isabelle murmurs into Maia’s shoulder.

‘I’m not sure there’s a loser in this scenario,’ Maia points out.

Isabelle chuckles. Her warm breath ghosts over the sensitive skin of Maia’s neck. Lazy heat curls through Maia’s stomach. The rest of her body protests. Her bones feel like sludge. Even if she wanted to, there’s no way she can move right now.

‘Are you hungry?’ Isabelle asks.

Maia shakes her head. ‘Tired. Are you?’

‘A little, but a little nap first sounds good.’

Maia listens until Isabelle’s breaths even out, then waits a little longer to make sure Isabelle is really asleep before she carefully slides out of the bed. She gathers her clothes and quietly puts them on, leaving her boots off. At the door she looks back. The first rays of the sun are already peaking over the horizon, shining feebly through the greasy window on the other side of the room. The room seems smaller now. Or maybe she was too busy to really notice its actual size.

Her eyes move to Isabelle, who is lying with her back to the door. There are several tattoos on her back that Maia remembers tracing with her tongue last night. Isabelle’s skin tastes like the ocean.

Maia closes her eyes to gather herself, and when she opens them again, her gaze shifts to the floor next to the bed where Isabelle dropped her necklace when she found that it got in the way.

She could take it now. Just grab it off the floor and go. But she’ll be seeing Isabelle again tomorrow. She can get another fun day out of this. The necklace can wait until then.

At the bar she asks for paper and ink and writes a quick note to Magnus. It’s early, and she doesn’t want to disturb him, so she’ll leave the clothes by his door and walk back into the ocean from the beach.

She’s so lost in thought on her way back that she’s surprised when the ground beneath her changes from dirt to sand. She doesn’t change out of her clothes immediately. Instead, she sits down on the sand just out of reach of the incoming waves, and stares out over the wide ocean. It feels surreal. It looks so different from here. The water looks grey, reflecting clouds heavy with snow, the white caps of the waves the only thing breaking the monochrome.

The tide is coming in and she waits for the water to reach her toes before shedding her clothes. She carefully folds them, and sets the pile by Magnus’ door. With a smile on her face, Maia sprints into the surf. The cold water splashes against her skin, already counteracting Magnus’ spell. Her legs feel wobblier with every step. When they almost give out, Maia jumps and dives beneath the next incoming wave.

~

Maia almost expects Isabelle not to show up, or to be upset that she snuck out, when she makes her way to The Institute two days later. But Isabelle is waiting for her by the door, hands deep in her coat pockets and the lower half her face hidden by a thick scarf.

‘Hey,’ Isabelle greets her with bright smile. She waggles her eyebrows. ‘Are you ready for today?’

‘Of course,’ Maia says. She puts her hand on the door so they can go in, but Isabelle links their elbows and tugs her down the street instead. The snow from yesterday has already melted a little, but the top layer froze into ice during the night, and Maia clings to Isabelle to keep her balance. ‘Where are we going?’ she asks.

‘I’m going to fulfil my promise of helping you build your first snowman.’

Winter on land turns out to be very different than in the ocean. It’s colder and the sea is rougher;  and if you go far enough north, the sea is frozen over, but they have nothing like snow. As much as it pains Maia to admit it, this is something that land has over the sea, because snow is amazing.

After Isabelle teaches her how to make a snowman, they go to a little bakery where they get warm bread and hot drinks. They eat and drink by the window, laughing at the people slipping and sliding through muddy and icy streets, even though they’ll soon be joining them. When they’re all warmed up again, Isabelle announces it’s time for a snowball fight. Which again proves how amazing snow is. They don’t stop until neither of them can hold a snowball in their numb hands. Arguing about who won, they shiver their way to The Institute.

The rest of the day goes pretty much how Maia expected: they spend it in bed. When they get hungry or thirsty they go down to order something, and bring it back up to eat in Isabelle’s room. By the time night falls, they’re both thoroughly warmed up again.

Isabelle has just put the dishes from their dinner outside their door for the maid to pick up, and she dives back under the covers, pressing against Maia. Maia is lost in thought. She needs to figure out how to get her necklace back, and fast. The Alicante will sail in two days, three days tops, according to Isabelle. Isabelle didn’t take her necklace off today, but tied it a little tighter around her neck so it wouldn’t get in the way. Which means Maia can’t just take it off the floor when she leaves.

‘They say it’ll freeze the next few days,’ Isabelle says, pulling Maia out of her thoughts. ‘There’s a lake nearby. I could teach you how to ice skate.’

‘I thought you were leaving in a couple days,’ Maia says.

Isabelle shakes her head. ‘The roads are almost impassable because of the weather, and there are storms coming in from the sea. We’ll be here for a couple more weeks, at least.’

‘Then I’d love to learn how to ice skate,’ Maia agrees, her shoulders relaxing with a relief she doesn’t want to examine too closely.

~

They get into a routine. Every two or three days, when Isabelle doesn’t have to help on the ship, they spend the day together, exploring the city, playing in the snow, just walking around, talking, until they get too cold and then they go back to the inn to warm up. Almost three weeks pass like this, and Maia feels like this could continue forever. It can’t, of course. The worst of the winter is almost over; merchants trapped on the icy roads are trickling into the city as the weather slowly improves, bringing the supplies The Alicante and its crew needs.

That morning Magnus told her he can’t keep doing the spell for her for much longer. It’s too untested and there’s no way to know the effects of long term use. He’s agreed to do it one more time, but after that Maia will have to figure out something else if she doesn’t have her neckless back by then. She’s pretty sure he knows why she’s been delaying getting it back, but he hasn’t said anything outright, only dropped a couple hints about attachments and honesty.

So today is her next to last chance to get her necklace back. And to spend with Isabelle. At least it’s a nice day. The sun is out and there are almost no clouds, revealing a crisp, winter-blue sky. They’re taking a walk on the beach, and even here there is only a slight breeze.

‘Where are you?’ Isabelle asks. ‘You’re so quiet.’

‘Sorry,’ Maia says. She smiles and shrugs apologetically. ‘Just thinking.’

Isabelle stops walking, and tugs on Maia’s elbow so they’re face to face. ‘Is everything okay? You looked a little sad while you were thinking.’

‘Everything’s fine. It’s just stuff. Not that important.’

‘You know you can talk to me, right?’ Isabelle places a hand against Maia’s cheek and guides her into a sweet kiss.

‘I know.’ _But not about this_ , Maia adds in her head.

‘How about we go for a swim to help you get out of your head?’ Isabelle suggests.

Maia snorts. ‘Seriously? It’s freezing.’

‘Not anymore,’ Isabelle says, gesturing at the snow free beach. ‘Come on. It’ll clear those sad thoughts from your mind.’

‘Uhm…’ Maia starts, buying time to find another excuse. She can’t go into the ocean.

‘We can warm each other up after,’ Isabelle says, pressing her point. She grins suggestively, but when Maia still hesitates and takes a step back, the grin drops and she tilts her head. ‘Wait, can you swim?’

Maia breathes out. That’s an easy excuse. ‘No,’ she says, shaking her head and looking down as if she’s embarrassed.

‘Then I’ll teach you!’ Isabelle says. ‘It’ll be great!’

‘No, really… I…’ Maia holds up her hands and takes another couple steps back, away from the water.

‘Hey,’ Isabelle says, gentling her voice. She takes Maia’s hands in her own and squeezes. ‘There’s nothing to be scared of _._ I’ll be right by your side.’ She drops Maia’ hands and starts tugging on her clothes. ‘I’ll show you.’

It doesn’t take Isabelle long to completely strip down, and shove her clothes into Maia’s hands. With a whoop of joy she runs into the water. She dives easily under the waves, and when she comes up Maia’s breath stocks in her throat. Isabelle looks so beautiful like this. Her hair slicked back from the water, her wet skin glistening in the morning sun. Her tattoos stand out even more than usual.

‘Like what you see?’ Isabelle shouts.

Maia feels her face heat at getting caught staring. ‘I do!’ she shouts back.

Isabelle waves, but a huge wave hits her in the back and she goes under. When the wave’s passed, she comes up spluttering. Maia hides her laugh in Isabelle’s clothes. Her laugh dies when another wave hits Isabelle in the back and she doesn’t come back up.

‘Isabelle?!’ she shouts.

_No._

Maia drops the pile of clothes, tearing off her own as runs to the water. She doesn’t bother taking the time to kick off her boots, just dives in. For a moment she’s disoriented as the spell washes away, her legs turning back into her tail, her gills opening up. When it’s over, she takes a deep breath and opens her eyes.

With the sky so clear, the water is almost as clear as glass, and she soon spots Isabelle. Isabelle is drifting with the current, limp, a small trail of blood coming from her forehead. She must’ve hit her head the second time she went under.

Maia hadn’t really known where they were on land, but now she recognizes the waters. The ground here is treacherous. It’s mostly sand, but there are some big rocks hidden in there. With one powerful swing of her tail, she’s by Isabelle’s side. Grabbing her around the waist, Maia drags her onto the beach. The sand chafes uncomfortably against her tail, but she barely notices it. She pushes Isabelle as far out of the surf as she can.

‘Isabelle?’ she asks. Her chest feels tight. She pushes Isabelle on her side, hoping it’ll force some of the water out. ‘Isabelle!’ she shouts, her chest feeling even tighter. She’s running out of air. She can’t breathe properly with her gills when on land. ‘Isabelle!’ She thumps Isabelle on the back, not knowing what else to do. The only person she can go to for help is Magnus, and he’s miles away. By the time he gets here, it’ll be to late. ‘Isabelle!’ She pulls Isabelle onto her other side. ‘Please wake up,’ she whispers, a sob catching in her throat.

There’s a gurgle in Isabelle’s throat. She spasms. And then she’s coughing, water trailing out of her mouth.

Maia’s relief is short-lived. She’s run out of air, but more importantly, she doesn’t want to see the look on Isabelle’s face when the woman realizes she’s been lying to her for weeks. She pushes away from Isabelle, back to the water.

‘Maia?’

Maia doesn’t turn around. She digs her hands into the sand, pulling as hard as she can, doing an awkward belly flop in an attempt to get to the water faster.

‘Maia!’

One more push and she’s in the water. She doesn’t glance behind her, or pop her head out of the water. She turns towards home and swims as fast as she can.

~

It’s been almost a week since that day on the beach. The weather keeps turning towards spring, and Maia is sure Isabelle is long gone by now. She hasn’t told Luke, or anyone else, that Isabelle knows she’s a mermaid, that Isabelle knows mermaids exist. Of course, it’s hard to talk to people when you’re avoiding them. She’s spent the week drifting the currents, letting them take her wherever they’re going. It usually calms her down, but it’s left her with a lot of time to think. She should’ve just taken her necklace back that first night, then she wouldn’t be in this mess.

She’s drifting back home, when she swims into Luke.

‘I’ve been looking for you,’ Luke says.

‘Oh?’

‘I got a message from Magnus.’

‘Magnus?’ Maia frowns. Then fear wraps itself around her heart. Have the mermaid rumours started up again? She doesn’t think Isabelle would tell anyone, but maybe someone saw them. She didn’t pay much attention after Isabelle went under.

‘He has your necklace,’ Luke says.

‘What?’

‘He has your necklace and you can pick it up at any time.’

‘Like right now?’

‘The message said any time, so I presume.’ Luke’s eyebrows contract into a concerned frown. ‘Is everything okay? I haven–‘

Maia doesn’t wait for him to finish. She rolls so she’s facing the direction of Magnus’ home, and swims away. Maybe Isabelle isn’t gone yet. Maybe she can find her and explain everything.

The hatch is already open when she gets there, and she doesn’t waste a second before sticking her head into the air.

‘Magnus? I got your message!’ Maia calls out. She hopes he’s home.

‘Magnus isn’t here.’

Maia freezes, then slowly looks to her side. Isabelle is sitting cross-legged on the floor. She’s even more beautiful than Maia remembered. The red of her blouse sets off beautifully against her skin. The edge of the tattoo on her chest peaks out where her shirt isn’t buttoned up all the way. Her long black hair hangs over one shoulder in a braid.

‘I sent you the message,’ Isabelle continues. She holds up the necklace. ‘Here. This is what you wanted, right?’ There’s an edge of bitterness in her voice.

‘I–‘ Maia swallows. She doesn’t know what to say. She takes the necklace and places it around her neck, feeling almost guilty. Isabelle isn’t wrong; she did initially seek Isabelle out to get her necklace back. ‘Thank you.’

Isabelle nods.

‘I could’ve taken it that first night,’ Maia blurts out. She doesn’t want Isabelle to think it was all about the necklace. Even if she never sees her again, she doesn’t want Isabelle to think that’s all they were.

‘Why didn’t you?’ Isabelle is looking at her with those big brown eyes, and Maia thinks she can see hope in there, the same hope that is swirling inside her.

‘Because I wanted to spend more time with you, and I didn’t know how you’d react to me being, well, not human.’

Isabelle smiles. ‘How’s my reaction so far?’

‘Much better than I hoped,’ Maia chuckles. Then a thought hits her. ‘How are you so okay with this? And how do you know Magnus?’

‘Magnus and my brother have been together for years,’ Isabelle explains. ‘I’m no stranger to magic.’

‘So you know about all this.’ Maia gestures at her tail.

‘Some of it. What I don’t know is why you wanted that necklace back so badly. Magnus wouldn’t tell me.’

Maia grins, closes her eyes and connects with the necklace. She places her hands on the edge of the hole an pushes herself up. This transition is a lot smoother. As the water falls away, so does her tail, and by the time she sits her butt down on the floor she has two legs swinging back and forth through the water.

Isabelle glances up and down Maia’s body.

‘Like what you see?’ Maia teases.

‘I do,’ Isabelle smiles. A look of confusion crosses over her face. ‘Wait, then how did you have legs when I had your necklace?’

‘That was a spell. A very painful and temporary spell,’ Maia explains. She shudders at the memory.

Isabelle stares at her in wonder, then starts to laugh.

‘What?’ Maia asks, looking down at herself to check if there’s a barnacle sticking to her legs.

‘I can’t believe I offered to teach you to swim,’ Isabelle manages to get out between laughs. ‘I’m pretty sure it should’ve been the other way around.’

Maia grins. ‘You’re a pretty good swimmer. For a human.’

Isabelle gives her a shove and Maia catches her hand, intertwining their fingers. Everything goes quiet. Isabelle swallows her next laugh. Even the sea seems to quiet down and wait for what happens next.

‘Are we okay?’ Maia asks.

‘Yeah. We’re okay.’ Isabelle scoots closer. She leans her forehead against the side of Maia’s head. ‘No more secret identities, though.’

That’s something Maia can easily agree with. ‘Deal,’ she says.

They sit like that for a while. It feels amazing to have Isabelle next to her again.

‘We set sail in two days,’ Isabelle says, breaking the silence.

‘Oh.’

‘Magnus can create these portals to wherever he wants to go. I asked and he’ll take you with him whenever the Alicante is too far away for you to swim,’ Isabelle adds. She pulls back and looks at Maia. ‘If you want to.’

‘I do,’ Maia nods. ‘I’ve never been on a ship.’

Isabelle’s smile is so bright and beautiful, Maia has to kiss her. When they pull back to catch their breath, Isabelle bumps their noses and says, ‘You’re still naked.’

‘Is that a problem?’

‘It is if we’re going to the harbour. We’re leaving in two days. There’s a lot to do,’ Isabelle says.

‘You give me my necklace back and immediately put me to work?’ Maia asks, eyebrows raised.

Isabelle shakes her head. ‘No. I’m going to give you a tour of the Alicante, and show off my muscles by carrying way to much stuff at once.’

‘Then let’s find me some clothes,’ Maia says, standing up and pulling Isabelle with her.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://fandom-madnessess.tumblr.com/).


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